Chapter 1160

Fang Yuan reflects that the sovereign immortal aperture still needs enormous work. It holds five regions and nine heavens, and each heaven’s own layer is as large as all five regions together. Even Mini Southern Border, which absorbed all he took from Hei Fan grotto-heaven, is nowhere near full. His overall development so far barely reaches two percent completion. ^{ch. 1160}

He thinks of Spectral Soul Demon Venerable, Shadow Sect and Zombie Alliance, who planned a hundred thousand years for this aperture before he took it from them. He calls the conflict between himself and them irreconcilable. The trip dealt Ying Wu Xie’s group a blow, but not one that truly shook their foundation. Sitting in the secret room he activates qi luck sensation; with luck inspection Immortal Gu he would have seen his own huge luck shaking overhead. Vague, scattered impressions spread out from Connect Luck to those bound to him across all five regions. ^{ch. 1160}

In Western Desert, bandits chase Han Li across the sand. They demand he hand over polished gold Gu, the worm they had wanted for themselves. His luck is extremely great, low at times on its own but very stable since Connect Luck bound him to Fang Yuan, and he has reached rank three, elder level, though three of his pursuers hold that same rank. Bleeding, he keeps running, telling himself polished gold Gu can raise his low aptitude. ^{ch. 1160}

In Southern Border, Ye Fan doubles in size. He drives back the Eighteen Sons of Wine Village, eighteen Gu Masters barred by the rules from the mountain that is now Shang clan’s territory; their leader concedes defeat and gives his word, and Ye Fan heals all of them with jade green light. His cultivation level has not risen much since taking Shang Qing Qing’s inheritance, but his overall strength has grown drastically, and he has already helped clan leader Shang Xin Ci open a new trade route and ease her political pressure. ^{ch. 1160}

The leader accepts the favor, pledging not to target Shang clan while Ye Fan is there, and warns that the two remaining obstacles are forces gathered under White Demon. Ye Fan asks whether this is the White Demon of the Black and White Demons, and the leader nods and warns that her strength is unfathomable. Thinking of Shang Xin Ci, then of Hei Tu, he resolves to go regardless. ^{ch. 1160}

In Central Continent, an obese female Gu Master corners Hong Yi in a cave and strips his clothes away. He forces out twice his usual potential, breaking her seal and shoving her away. A miniman Gu Master appears at his shoulder. Only then does she realize the pair have stolen her ecstasy water. ^{ch. 1160}

Fang Yuan can sense the rough locations of Hong Yi, Ye Fan and Han Li through Connect Luck, though not what happens to them. Hei Lou Lan and Ying Wu Xie stay hidden from it entirely. From this Fang Yuan concludes that Ying Wu Xie does have a way to conceal his own luck connection. He reasons that Ying Wu Xie’s maturing mind will only become a greater problem than any Immortal Gu he commands, since no Immortal Gu is strongest, only its wielder. Since the sense can now be blocked, he decides to use it more sparingly; it draws on green grape immortal essence, already thinned by this trip. ^{ch. 1160}

The best outcome would have been to find Ying Wu Xie and press him, or even kill him and be rid of the threat entirely, but that remains out of reach. Fang Yuan resolves simply to grow stronger. Shadow Sect still commands remnant forces across all five regions and at least four Gu Immortals, and by their next meeting it might already greatly surpass him in strength. He takes out perceivable dao Immortal Gu, the healthy rank six information path Gu he saved, and begins to activate it. ^{ch. 1160}